Earlier this summer, New Orleans-based Big Easy Bucha extended its product portfolio with a new line of concentrated kombucha shots. The product aims to offer the probiotic benefits of kombucha in a format that is smaller and quicker to consume.

Available in three flavors, including Tropical Fruit, Ginger Spice, and Very Berry, the Lil’ Easy Kombucha Shots are packaged in 4 oz. glass bottles (two “shots” per container) and are available in a 3 flavor variety pack; it is unclear as to whether or not they sell the products individually as well.

Inside each bottle, you'll find a flavor profile that skews towards the vinegary end of the kombucha spectrum. There isn't much in the way of effervescence to speak of, which certainly makes this a different drinking experience than many other kombuchas on the market today. Still, given the smallish opening of this container, we found it somewhat difficult to do anything more than sip it -- doing a shot of it wasn’t really an option for us.

Still, we think that they've done a pretty nice job of crafting three flavors that should be crowd pleasers, at least as far as kombucha consumers. In all three of the products, kombucha is very much the star of the show, while the added flavors provide a mild accent note. This is true of the pineapple and mango juices added to the Tropical Fruit, the turmeric and ginger in the Ginger Spice, and the raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry juices found in the Very Berry.

As far as the design goes, the labels are busy but still visually appealing. Each flavor is represented by a different color. Beyond that, the label features a retro style illustration and thanks to the name and the inclusion of a fleur-de-lis it's pretty clear that this is the product from New Orleans.  However, we think that they need to enhance the messaging on the label as it really doesn't tell the consumer what's different about this liquid compared with their full size kombucha.

Finally, there's the overall positioning of the product. One of the challenges that we often find with kombucha is the package size is often simply too large to consume the entire thing.  4 oz. bottle certainly eliminates this as a concern, although the product is now on the other end of the spectrum and risks being too small to be competitive. However, when looking at it in the three flavor variety pack, it seems like something that at least has a point of differentiation from what is presently out there.

Overall, we think that Big Easy Bucha  has done a nice job coming up with something that is both unique and well-executed. While we imagine that the company will still keep its focus on their flagship full size kombucha line, this is a nifty bolt-on that might end up giving Big Easy Bucha a second spot in the cooler.